


Essay Prize

by imaginarycircus



Series: My Two Dads [1]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Diabetes-inducing fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-27
Updated: 2011-05-27
Packaged: 2017-10-19 20:21:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/204835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginarycircus/pseuds/imaginarycircus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Grace wins an essay writing contest at school after she's written an essay about her father. This is a prequel to <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/201107">Class Visit.</a></p>
            </blockquote>





	Essay Prize

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for Ciaimpala for her birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
> 
> Thank you to Casness for the beta read. <3

Danny had mentioned the awards ceremony so many times, that Steve just assumed he was going to it too, like so many things they never explicitly talked about it.

He rapped on Danny’s open office door and said, “Come on. We’ve got to head out if we’re going to make it in time to get good seats.”

“We?” Danny looked up, bemused.

“Yeah, we. Why wouldn’t I go?”

“No reason,” Danny said, but it was clear he hadn’t been expecting Steve to go. He grabbed his keys and threw them to Steve.

“So, what’s Grace’s award winning essay about?” Steve looked askance at Danny who opened his mouth and started to say, but then realized it was a trap. Because Steve knew the essay was about Danny. He’d mentioned once or twice.

*

The school auditorium was smaller than Steve remembered, though he hadn’t been there in many years. He hadn’t attended Grace’s tony private school, but he’d been in the auditorium once or twice when he was a kid. They picked up the programs, which were on their seats, which were about halfway back from the stage. There was podium dead center, but the stage was empty.

“Look at that. Her name’s in the program, but…” Danny’s beaming smile faltered.

Steve leaned over to look, figuring they’d misspelled Grace’s name or something, but Danny hid the program.

That was peculiar, but Steve had his own program and opened it to see that Grace’s essay was called, ‘My Two Dads.’ That was sweet. Gracie had written an essay about both Stan and Danny. If there was some reason that Danny didn’t want Steve to know about that, he had no idea what it might be; though the ways of one Daniel M. Williams could be confusing at times.

A woman in a shocking pink suit came forward to the podium and introduced herself as the principal. She explained that all the sixth graders had written essays and the best three had been chosen and were going to be read aloud.

The third place essay was about surfing. Steve wished Kono was there to hear it; she would have loved it. The girl, Steve consulted the program, Sarah, had a gift for descriptive language. He clapped sincerely when she was finished.

The second place essay was about recycling and was a little boring. Steve tried to pay attention, but he found his mind wandering. Danny’s hand was just a few inches away and Steve wanted to reach out and brush his fingers along the golden hairs on the knuckles, squeeze Danny’s fingers affectionately, but they didn’t do that sort of thing in public, and Steve figured that Danny would be especially leery of PDA at Grace’s school. And Steve hated that it had to be that way, that they couldn’t just say, ‘Fuck it’ and not care what other people thought.

“And now, our winning essay ‘My Two Dads’ read by our first place author, Grace Williams.”

“I see Rachel, but where is Stan?” Steve said under his breath to Danny as Grace walked from the audience to the stage.

Danny shook his head and gave Steve a ‘Don’t start’ look

“What? His stepdaughter writes an essay about him and he isn’t even here.” Steve folded his arms, but fell silent because Grace was at the podium and the principal was adjusting the mic for her.

“My Two Dads.

“I know it’s not that strange to have two dads, but my situation is a little strange, because my father, Daniel Williams, has a partner, Steve McGarrett. And Steve is my second dad. They aren’t married, exactly. They’re together in all the ways that count. They love each other and they both love me.

They are both cops and although they are very busy helping people and keeping Hawaii safe, they always have time for me. Steve is teaching me how to surf. He was the one who took me to the hospital when I broke my arm last spring. I think it was harder for him than it was for me, that’s how I knew he was my second dad. He was white as a sheet when they told him my arm was broken, but he told me he’d seen much worse injuries when he was a Navy SEAL. Although my dad won’t let him tell me about his adventures until I’m eighteen, I can tell that he did some pretty crazy stuff. He’s the bravest man I know.”

Danny reached over and grabbed Steve’s hand and squeezed and Steve swallowed around the lump in his throat.

“I think anyone who is against gay marriage should spend an afternoon with my dads. They argue like an old married couple, but you can tell they love each other—like ‘Someday my prince will come’ fairy tale love. Except they are both princes and they rescued each other. I like that better than the Prince rescues the Princess kind of stories. Why does the Princess always need rescuing? That never made any sense to me, that she never gets a chance to rescue the Prince.

When I told Steve that he said that the whole world would be a better place if people concentrated on rescuing each other instead of being rescued, but then he’s always there to help people. It’s what he does. I don’t think he’d let too many people rescue him, but that’s how special and loving my dad, Danny is. He has the biggest heart in the world.

When my mom and I moved from New Jersey to Hawaii, he moved with us just to be near me. He didn’t have to. He could have just seen me twice a year, but he wanted to stay close to me. You don’t have to tell me how lucky I am. I know it.”

Grace looked up from her paper and scanned the auditorium until she spotted Danny and Steve. She grinned at them. Danny had to blot his eyes on his cuffs.

“That’s some kid we’ve got there,” Danny said and stood up to clap. Steve stood next to Danny and they leaned into each other as they clapped and a funny thing happened. The audience turned to them and clapped for them. Steve felt a hot rush of affection for the whole audience, for the whole damn world, though he also felt a tiny bit embarrassed by the attention, He felt broke into a goofy smile—all teeth.

Danny knelt down and took his hand and Steve was worried that Danny’s knee had gone out, but then he realized what was happening.

The clapping stopped abruptly, as if it had been switched off, and it was so quiet that no one even seemed to be breathing.

“Lieutenant Commander Steve J. McGarrett, will you marry me?” Danny looked up at him.

Steve’s neck flushed. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth and he was much too aware of everyone staring, waiting for his answer. Then he looked into Danny’s bright blue eyes, and the answer was there. He nodded and said, “Yes.”

He pulled Danny to his feet and kissed him. The audience erupted into cheers and hoots and a moment later Grace threw her arms around them. They just stood clinging to each other for a few moments. When they broke apart Steve noticed that several people were blotting their eyes and blowing their noses.

Danny was grinning and wouldn’t let go of his hand. They were mobbed by people who wanted to congratulate them, which was nice, but went on a little too long.

Rachel came over and hugged them both and it was clear she’d been one of the eye-dabbers from her bloodshot eyes. “Do you want to take Grace out to dinner to celebrate?” she said.

“Yes! Please!” Grace stood up on her toes.

“That would be wonderful, but will you come too?” Steve blurted it out, but it just seemed like they were all part of this strangely shaped family now. Danny nodded his approval though.

“No, thank you, but no. I think Grace should spend some time with her two dads.” Rachel winked and kissed Grace and whispered something into her ear.

“Did you read her essay before this?” Danny asked Rachel when she straightened up.  
Rachel nodded. “Stan was a bit hurt, but I thought it was wonderful. I’m very proud of Grace.”

Grace beamed up at Steve and he brushed her hair back from her forehead. “Was it OK, Steve?”

“Grace, it was phenomenal. I am so proud of you, kiddo.” Steve almost choked on his emotion. It must be something in the Williams DNA, that expert knowledge of just how to take him apart and push his buttons, which were so well hidden from the rest of the world that very few people ever saw what he was truly feeling, but with Grace and Danny he was an open book—everything at the surface.

When they finally got out to the car, Danny got behind the wheel and his hands were shaking.

“What?” Steve gripped them in his own.

“I can’t believe that just happened,” Danny leaned back in the driver’s seat. “Also, I think maybe you better drive.”

“Are you sorry you proposed? It wasn’t peer pressure or anything?” Steve said, suddenly worried.

“Are you for real? Don’t you know how crazy I am about you? Do you really think I’d get up in front of Grace’s school and ask you to marry me if I didn’t mean it? You, my friend, have issues—“

Steve leaned forward and cut Danny off with a kiss. Grace giggled and somewhere nearby a horn tooted.

“So, where are we going to dinner?” Steve said and looked back at Grace, who was grinning her father’s grin at him.

“We’re going to La Mer. Mommy already made us a reservation,” Grace said.

“She did?” Danny said.

“Seven pm, sharp,” Grace said. “I already have my dress on and everything, but you two will need to change. It’s fancy.”

“You’ve already been there?” Danny said.

“No,” Grace admitted. “But Mommy wore her diamond earrings and a beautiful dress when she went.”

“Well, we have enough time to go home and go for a swim, if you want?” Steve said to Grace.

“That’s how I knew Danno loved you, you know,” Grace giggled. “He went swimming with you.”

“Oh, that wasn’t love…” Steve started to say and then realized he shouldn’t talk to Grace about that.

“I swear, if you finish that sentence…” Danny warned. “Now, swap places with me so you can drive us home, sanely.”

“I always drive sanely.” Steve got out of the car and drew Danny into his embrace. “Because I love you.”

“I think your definition of sane, needs some work, but yeah. I love you too, babe.”

Grace leaned forward and beeped the horn at them when they lingered in each other’s arms a little too long.


End file.
